Book Review: Viking America: The Norse Crossings and Their Legacy by James Robert Enterline

Kälvemark has done an exhaustive and competent work within the
scope of her project. A twelve-page summary i n English greatly increases
its value for use outside of Sweden. WESLEY M . WESTERBERG.
T H E COVENANT H Y M N A L . Chicago: The Covenant Press, 1973, and
H Y M N S OF S C A N D I N A V I A N H E R I T A G E [pamphlet collection of 29
hymns]. Chicago: Covenant Press, 1973.
Next to the Bible, there is no book that touches the spiritual life of
the average church member more profoundly than the hymnbook he em­ploys
i n the worship of God. The publication of a new hymnal b y a C h r i s ­tian
denomination, therefore, is an event of considerable importance, as
the Evangelical Covenant Church is now learning. Interest i n the new
C o v e n a n t H y m n a l , however, is not confined to the members of that church
body alone. Nowhere is the spirit of ecumenicity manifested more s t r i k i n g ­l
y than i n our Christian hymnbooks. In these we discover the outpourings
of prayer and praise by the people of God of every spiritual persuasion
throughout the C h r i s t i a n world. Here, as well as i n the Bible, we find our
bond of union i n Christ as Saviour. That is why it is such a joyous ex­perience
to welcome a new book of worship l i k e the 1973 C o v e n a n t H y m n a l .
A n exploration of this inspiring book w i l l reveal not only scholarly
achievement, but one that is t r u l y ecumenical i n character. The choice of
hymns is excellent, and the music is of a high order. Most important of
all, the new book of worship gives abundant evidence that the Covenant
Church, which had its o r i g in i n the pietistic movement that swept Sweden
during the latter half of the last century, has not lost any. of its early
spiritual zeal and fervor. As we turn the pages of the new hymnal, we
discover every little while one of the lovely lyrics of L i n a Sandell, l i ke
" C h i l d r e n of the Heavenly Father," or one of the sweet tunes of Oskar
Ahnfelt w i l l suddenly fall on the ear, and we find ourselves transported
to the Land of the Midnight Sun.
However, a still greater surprise is i n store for us. When we come to
Hymn No. 19, we discover an English translation of what may eventually
become known as the most famous Swedish hymn ever written, namely
C a r l Boberg's " 0 Store G u d . " Incidentally, the new Covenant Hymnal
contains two additional l y r i c s w r i t t e n b y Boberg and set to Swedish f o l k ­song
tunes. Neither of these, however, gives promise of attaining the
w o r l d - w i d e acclaim achieved by " O Store G u d . " The nine stanzas of this
now famous hymn, as they originally appeared on March 3, 1886, in
Mönsteråstidningen in Sweden, owe their English form i n the Covenant
Hymnal to E. Gustaf Johnson, former professor at N o r t h P a r k College.
The two world wars which have engulfed the earth since the turn of
the century might be expected to leave their mark on our church hymn¬
ody, and this is confirmed by the number of new hymns i n the collection
w h i c h almost sternly summon mankind, and most certainly the Church,
to strive for peace and brotherhood. Typical of these hymns is W i l l i am P.
M e r r i l l ' s lyric, "Not Alone for Mighty Empire," i n w h i c h these stanzas
occur:
159
Not for battleship and fortress.
Not for conquests of the sword,
But for conquests of the spirit
Give we thanks to Thee, O L o r d;
F o r the priceless gift of freedom,
F o r the home, the church, the school,
F o r the open door to manhood
In a land the people rule.
F o r the armies of the faithful,
Souls that passed and left no name,
F o r the glory that illumines
Patriot lives of deathless fame;
F o r our prophets and apostles,
L o y a l to the l i v i n g Word,
F o r all heroes of the spirit,
G i v e we thanks to Thee, O Lord.
S i m i l a r i n character i n the new hymnal are such hymns as "Rise Up,
O Men of God," "O Brother Man, F o l d to Thy Heart Thy Brother," "O
God of Every Nation," "Son of God, Eternal Saviour," "Thou Judge by
Whom Each Empire F e l l , " "O Spirit of the L i v i n g God," "God of the
Prophets," and finally "Heralds of Christ, Who Bear the K i n g ' s Commands,"
i n which this s t i r r i n g stanza occurs:
L o r d , give us faith and strength the road to build,
To see the promise of the day fulfilled,
When war shall be no more and strife shall cease
Upon the highway of the Prince of Peace.
F i n a l l y let it be said that the commission which created the new C o v ­e
n a n t H y m n a l deserves commendation not only for its discernment in
the selection of hymns and other worship material, but also for making
available classic gems from sacred cantatas such as "Christ, We Do A l l
Adore Thee," from Dubois' "The Seven Last Words," "Cast Thy Burden
upon the L o r d " from Mendelssohn's " E l i j a h , " and the "Sevenfold Amen"
f r om Stainer's " C r u c i f i x i o n . ' E. E. RYDEN.
James Robert Enterline, VIKING AMERICA. T H E NORSE CROSSINGS
A N D THEIR L E G A C Y . With an epilogue by Thor Heyerdahl. Garden
C i t y : Doubleday and Co., 1972. 217 pp. $6.95.
The author's training was i n mathematics and physics, and it was the
publication of the V i n l a n d M a p that enticed h im from the precisions of
science to the speculations of archaeologic history. He claims few .ab­solutes,
but he argues vigorously for several hypotheses. He is convinced
that the v i n i n V i n l a n d means pasture or meadow rather than wine. He
160
interprets the evidence of the sagas to indicate that this l a n d of L e i f ' s w i n ­tering
was on the western shore of Ungava Bay, much farther north and
colder and foggier than the dozen or more of other sites that enter the
competition—and an argument that is shouted down by Thomas Lee i n a
recent article i n the A m e r i c a n S c a n d i n a v i a n R e v i e w (Autumn, 1973).
Some of the most interesting discussion has to do w i t h the amalgamation
of the Greenland Norsemen with the Eskimos and with the probable
dispersal of the Norse across the A r c t i c top of N o r t h A m e r i c a ; this diaspora
is i n t u r n related to the map-making of the Eskimos, the learning of this
art by the Norse, and the transmission of maps to southern Europe.
It is much bold speculation that has undoubtedly some foggy elements
of truth. But Enterline's appeals to the sagas call u p only the evidence
that fits, and disregard other evidence such as the time reckonings for
voyages. The whole thrust of the book is also rather oddly deflated by
Heyerdahl's epilog reasserting the importance of Columbus as a man who
reasoned and planned before he acted, whereas the Norsement moved on
westward without careful calculation. F. D. S.
161
Covenant retirement centers are
more than superb retirement com­munities.
They are a w a y of life.
They offer custom designed r e t i r e ­ment
plans to f i t individual needs —
featuring beautifully appointed
suites and semi-suites. They
provide complete active retirement
service with companionship, recre­ation,
security, and independence
within a Christian environment.
182
Covenant Village
NORTHBROOK c/o director
2625 Techny Road " Northbrook, Illinois 60062
Brandel Care Center
(a skilled nursing care facility)
Covenant Palms
M I A M I c/o director
8400 N.W. 25th Avenue • Miami, Florida 33147
Mount Miguel Covenant Village
SAN DIEGO c/o director
325 Kempton Street • Spring Valley, California 92077
Hearthstone Manor
FOLSOM c/o director
6700 Oak Avenue » Folsom, California 95630
The Samarkand
SANTA BARBARA c/o director
2663 Tallant Road « Santa Barbara, California 93105
Applications are available to persons
of varying economic levels. Informa­tion
is available by writing the
center of your choice.
GIFT MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
(Gifts for both Donor and Recipient)
For sending us o n e n e w Sustaining M e m b e r s h i p ($15.00) for a
friend or relative, you will receive free any two of the works
listed below.
For sending us one n e w Annual M e m b e r s h i p ($7.00) for a friend
or relative, you will receive free any one of the works listed.
The gift books are:
1. A Pioneer in N o r t h w e s t America 1 8 4 1 - 1 8 5 8 , The Memoirs
of Gustaf Unonius. 2 volumes (comprise one gift).
2. Adolph B. Benson, F a r m , F o r g e , and Philosophy.
3. Franklin D. Scott, Wertmüller, A r t i s t and Immigrant
Farmer.
4. Herbert Capps, F r o m Isolation to I n v o l v e m e n t , The Swed­ish
Immigrant Press in America, 1914-1945.
Use the enclosed blank to indicate name and address of the new
member and the book(s) you have selected for yourself. Send
the blank with check for your renewal and the new membership
in the payment envelope. This offer is good until withdrawn by
the Society or supply of books is exhausted.
SWEDISH PIONEER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
5125 N. Spaulding Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625
N E W M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I ON
Enclosed is $ for a new
• Sustaining Membership ($15.00)
• Annual Membership ( $7.00)
for:
Name of New Member
Address
As my book dividend(s) for securing this membership, please
send me:
My Name
Address
163
TO SWEDEN
Make Your Reservation
NOW
FOR SWEDISH PIONEER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ANNUAL
CHARTER FLIGHT 1974
For Members only
(5 weeks) S. A . S. ( D C 8-63 J e t )
CHICAGO—STOCKHOLM—CHICAGO DIRECT
Leaving June 8 and Returning July 13, 1974
NEW FARE DUE TO ENERGY CRISIS
$310.00, PLUS $3.00 TAX-$313.0Q
C h i l d r e n Between Two and Eleven—$250.00,
pies $3.00 Tax—$253.00
For information and reservations contact:
S W E D I S H P I O N E E R H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y C H A R T E R F L I G HT
RICARDO NELSON TRAVEL BUREAU, INC.
5245 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60640
164

Click tabs to swap between content that is broken into logical sections.

All rights held by the Swedish-American Historical Society. No part of this publication, except in the case of brief quotations, may be reproduced in any manner without the written permission of the editor and, where appropriate, the original author(s). For more information, please email the Society at info@swedishamericanhist.org

Kälvemark has done an exhaustive and competent work within the
scope of her project. A twelve-page summary i n English greatly increases
its value for use outside of Sweden. WESLEY M . WESTERBERG.
T H E COVENANT H Y M N A L . Chicago: The Covenant Press, 1973, and
H Y M N S OF S C A N D I N A V I A N H E R I T A G E [pamphlet collection of 29
hymns]. Chicago: Covenant Press, 1973.
Next to the Bible, there is no book that touches the spiritual life of
the average church member more profoundly than the hymnbook he em­ploys
i n the worship of God. The publication of a new hymnal b y a C h r i s ­tian
denomination, therefore, is an event of considerable importance, as
the Evangelical Covenant Church is now learning. Interest i n the new
C o v e n a n t H y m n a l , however, is not confined to the members of that church
body alone. Nowhere is the spirit of ecumenicity manifested more s t r i k i n g ­l
y than i n our Christian hymnbooks. In these we discover the outpourings
of prayer and praise by the people of God of every spiritual persuasion
throughout the C h r i s t i a n world. Here, as well as i n the Bible, we find our
bond of union i n Christ as Saviour. That is why it is such a joyous ex­perience
to welcome a new book of worship l i k e the 1973 C o v e n a n t H y m n a l .
A n exploration of this inspiring book w i l l reveal not only scholarly
achievement, but one that is t r u l y ecumenical i n character. The choice of
hymns is excellent, and the music is of a high order. Most important of
all, the new book of worship gives abundant evidence that the Covenant
Church, which had its o r i g in i n the pietistic movement that swept Sweden
during the latter half of the last century, has not lost any. of its early
spiritual zeal and fervor. As we turn the pages of the new hymnal, we
discover every little while one of the lovely lyrics of L i n a Sandell, l i ke
" C h i l d r e n of the Heavenly Father," or one of the sweet tunes of Oskar
Ahnfelt w i l l suddenly fall on the ear, and we find ourselves transported
to the Land of the Midnight Sun.
However, a still greater surprise is i n store for us. When we come to
Hymn No. 19, we discover an English translation of what may eventually
become known as the most famous Swedish hymn ever written, namely
C a r l Boberg's " 0 Store G u d . " Incidentally, the new Covenant Hymnal
contains two additional l y r i c s w r i t t e n b y Boberg and set to Swedish f o l k ­song
tunes. Neither of these, however, gives promise of attaining the
w o r l d - w i d e acclaim achieved by " O Store G u d . " The nine stanzas of this
now famous hymn, as they originally appeared on March 3, 1886, in
Mönsteråstidningen in Sweden, owe their English form i n the Covenant
Hymnal to E. Gustaf Johnson, former professor at N o r t h P a r k College.
The two world wars which have engulfed the earth since the turn of
the century might be expected to leave their mark on our church hymn¬
ody, and this is confirmed by the number of new hymns i n the collection
w h i c h almost sternly summon mankind, and most certainly the Church,
to strive for peace and brotherhood. Typical of these hymns is W i l l i am P.
M e r r i l l ' s lyric, "Not Alone for Mighty Empire," i n w h i c h these stanzas
occur:
159
Not for battleship and fortress.
Not for conquests of the sword,
But for conquests of the spirit
Give we thanks to Thee, O L o r d;
F o r the priceless gift of freedom,
F o r the home, the church, the school,
F o r the open door to manhood
In a land the people rule.
F o r the armies of the faithful,
Souls that passed and left no name,
F o r the glory that illumines
Patriot lives of deathless fame;
F o r our prophets and apostles,
L o y a l to the l i v i n g Word,
F o r all heroes of the spirit,
G i v e we thanks to Thee, O Lord.
S i m i l a r i n character i n the new hymnal are such hymns as "Rise Up,
O Men of God," "O Brother Man, F o l d to Thy Heart Thy Brother," "O
God of Every Nation," "Son of God, Eternal Saviour," "Thou Judge by
Whom Each Empire F e l l , " "O Spirit of the L i v i n g God," "God of the
Prophets," and finally "Heralds of Christ, Who Bear the K i n g ' s Commands,"
i n which this s t i r r i n g stanza occurs:
L o r d , give us faith and strength the road to build,
To see the promise of the day fulfilled,
When war shall be no more and strife shall cease
Upon the highway of the Prince of Peace.
F i n a l l y let it be said that the commission which created the new C o v ­e
n a n t H y m n a l deserves commendation not only for its discernment in
the selection of hymns and other worship material, but also for making
available classic gems from sacred cantatas such as "Christ, We Do A l l
Adore Thee," from Dubois' "The Seven Last Words," "Cast Thy Burden
upon the L o r d " from Mendelssohn's " E l i j a h , " and the "Sevenfold Amen"
f r om Stainer's " C r u c i f i x i o n . ' E. E. RYDEN.
James Robert Enterline, VIKING AMERICA. T H E NORSE CROSSINGS
A N D THEIR L E G A C Y . With an epilogue by Thor Heyerdahl. Garden
C i t y : Doubleday and Co., 1972. 217 pp. $6.95.
The author's training was i n mathematics and physics, and it was the
publication of the V i n l a n d M a p that enticed h im from the precisions of
science to the speculations of archaeologic history. He claims few .ab­solutes,
but he argues vigorously for several hypotheses. He is convinced
that the v i n i n V i n l a n d means pasture or meadow rather than wine. He
160
interprets the evidence of the sagas to indicate that this l a n d of L e i f ' s w i n ­tering
was on the western shore of Ungava Bay, much farther north and
colder and foggier than the dozen or more of other sites that enter the
competition—and an argument that is shouted down by Thomas Lee i n a
recent article i n the A m e r i c a n S c a n d i n a v i a n R e v i e w (Autumn, 1973).
Some of the most interesting discussion has to do w i t h the amalgamation
of the Greenland Norsemen with the Eskimos and with the probable
dispersal of the Norse across the A r c t i c top of N o r t h A m e r i c a ; this diaspora
is i n t u r n related to the map-making of the Eskimos, the learning of this
art by the Norse, and the transmission of maps to southern Europe.
It is much bold speculation that has undoubtedly some foggy elements
of truth. But Enterline's appeals to the sagas call u p only the evidence
that fits, and disregard other evidence such as the time reckonings for
voyages. The whole thrust of the book is also rather oddly deflated by
Heyerdahl's epilog reasserting the importance of Columbus as a man who
reasoned and planned before he acted, whereas the Norsement moved on
westward without careful calculation. F. D. S.
161
Covenant retirement centers are
more than superb retirement com­munities.
They are a w a y of life.
They offer custom designed r e t i r e ­ment
plans to f i t individual needs —
featuring beautifully appointed
suites and semi-suites. They
provide complete active retirement
service with companionship, recre­ation,
security, and independence
within a Christian environment.
182
Covenant Village
NORTHBROOK c/o director
2625 Techny Road " Northbrook, Illinois 60062
Brandel Care Center
(a skilled nursing care facility)
Covenant Palms
M I A M I c/o director
8400 N.W. 25th Avenue • Miami, Florida 33147
Mount Miguel Covenant Village
SAN DIEGO c/o director
325 Kempton Street • Spring Valley, California 92077
Hearthstone Manor
FOLSOM c/o director
6700 Oak Avenue » Folsom, California 95630
The Samarkand
SANTA BARBARA c/o director
2663 Tallant Road « Santa Barbara, California 93105
Applications are available to persons
of varying economic levels. Informa­tion
is available by writing the
center of your choice.
GIFT MEMBERSHIP DRIVE
(Gifts for both Donor and Recipient)
For sending us o n e n e w Sustaining M e m b e r s h i p ($15.00) for a
friend or relative, you will receive free any two of the works
listed below.
For sending us one n e w Annual M e m b e r s h i p ($7.00) for a friend
or relative, you will receive free any one of the works listed.
The gift books are:
1. A Pioneer in N o r t h w e s t America 1 8 4 1 - 1 8 5 8 , The Memoirs
of Gustaf Unonius. 2 volumes (comprise one gift).
2. Adolph B. Benson, F a r m , F o r g e , and Philosophy.
3. Franklin D. Scott, Wertmüller, A r t i s t and Immigrant
Farmer.
4. Herbert Capps, F r o m Isolation to I n v o l v e m e n t , The Swed­ish
Immigrant Press in America, 1914-1945.
Use the enclosed blank to indicate name and address of the new
member and the book(s) you have selected for yourself. Send
the blank with check for your renewal and the new membership
in the payment envelope. This offer is good until withdrawn by
the Society or supply of books is exhausted.
SWEDISH PIONEER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
5125 N. Spaulding Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60625
N E W M E M B E R S H I P A P P L I C A T I ON
Enclosed is $ for a new
• Sustaining Membership ($15.00)
• Annual Membership ( $7.00)
for:
Name of New Member
Address
As my book dividend(s) for securing this membership, please
send me:
My Name
Address
163
TO SWEDEN
Make Your Reservation
NOW
FOR SWEDISH PIONEER HISTORICAL SOCIETY
ANNUAL
CHARTER FLIGHT 1974
For Members only
(5 weeks) S. A . S. ( D C 8-63 J e t )
CHICAGO—STOCKHOLM—CHICAGO DIRECT
Leaving June 8 and Returning July 13, 1974
NEW FARE DUE TO ENERGY CRISIS
$310.00, PLUS $3.00 TAX-$313.0Q
C h i l d r e n Between Two and Eleven—$250.00,
pies $3.00 Tax—$253.00
For information and reservations contact:
S W E D I S H P I O N E E R H I S T O R I C A L S O C I E T Y C H A R T E R F L I G HT
RICARDO NELSON TRAVEL BUREAU, INC.
5245 North Clark Street, Chicago, Illinois 60640
164